No Limits
by Flyingfeline
Summary: Matthew Williams is sick of his life. He decides to run away from home and go off on his own adventure, where he meets all sorts of interesting individuals. Meanwhile, his brother Alfred and his friends head out to find Matthew and bring him home. Will contain PruCan in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

It was the night Matthew had been waiting for.

He had been planning for weeks, and he was finally ready to go.

He glanced at his clock. It was a few minutes past midnight. Matthew knew his brother would be sound asleep. He could escape without being noticed.

Well, it wasn't like he was ever noticed anyways. He wasn't assertive enough, apparently. People seemed to stare right through him like he was invisible, and Matthew hated it. When he did manage to get someone's attention, they called him "strange" and "weird", right to Matthew's face. He had decided that it was best to stay away from everyone. He couldn't understand them.

Now, with his plan going into action, he could be away from everyone. Matthew became engulfed in his own thoughts as he put on clothes, his glasses, and tennis shoes. He grabbed his old flip phone and stuffed it into his pocket, and he slung his backpack over his shoulder, which had been packed with extra clothes and money the day before.

Matthew had to make one last stop before he could leave. He opened his bedroom door and tiptoed out, peering into his brother's bedroom on the way out.

"Goodbye, Alfred," Matthew whispered. Alfred snored loudly, obviously not hearing him.

Matthew made his way into the kitchen, where he loaded up the remaining space in his backpack with food and water bottles. He figured he had enough food packed to last him a day. At least he had money to buy things with.

After checking his backpack to make sure he had everything he needed, Matthew stood up straight and exited the house through the back door.

He had made it out of the house. He was free.

Matthew inhaled the smell of the night. He had never been outside at this time before. Alfred hadn't let him. Alfred wasn't trying to be mean, but he was too protective of his little brother. There was only a three-year age difference between them, despite that, Alfred acted like Matthew was a little kid.

Matthew was hit by the realization that Alfred couldn't control him anymore. He could do whatever he wanted.

Just the thought of being free from everyone pumped Matthew up. Running down the driveway, he spread his arms out like a bird's wings and zoomed down the sidewalk. He felt childish doing it, but it felt good to have the wind in his face.

Matthew dashed past the other houses on the street, knowing that every step he took was taking him farther away from home.

Maybe running away was a bad idea.

No, no, no. Matthew shook his head. He had been saving money and planning for countless days and nights. He had learned to be strong. He could survive.

Still, home was always an option.

Matthew tried to brainstorm places where he could rest. He slowed to a walk, and began to think. He couldn't sleep in a bush. Bugs could crawl over him. And strangers' houses weren't an option either.

Maybe he could climb a tree or something. That would attract attention, but only if he was caught. There was a risk of falling, too.

Ugh. Matthew rubbed his temples. This whole "running away" idea could be harder than he thought.

He reached the crosswalk. No cars were out. Matthew trudged across the street, lost in thought. He still couldn't exactly wrap his head around the fact that he was on his own now.

The sky was an object of interest to Matthew. It was really pretty that night. The moon hung right in the middle of the sky, and it almost seemed to greet Matthew, who was staring right up at it.

Matthew didn't care that the moon was just a chunk of rock orbiting the Earth. It was gorgeous.

Poor Matthew, still thinking, soon realized that he didn't know where his destination was. He knew his neighborhood pretty well, and he wouldn't get lost, but he wasn't looking for a place to go.

He was just running.

* * *

A/N: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. Once the story gets rolling, I promise the chapters will be longer!

I hope you all enjoyed this short bit of a story. Stay awesome, everyone!


	2. Chapter 2

Alfred thought it was strange that Matthew was sleeping in so late. Usually Matthew was up around ten o'clock, and it was noon.

Curiosity got the better of Alfred, and he opened Matthew's bedroom door.

"Hey, Matthew! Are you okay?" he called into the room. Nobody answered.

Alfred nervously peered inside. The sheets on Matthew's bed were all out of place, and the dresser's drawers were open. Matthew's phone, which he kept on its charger on a table, was gone.

"Matthew? Are you in here?"

Taking a step in, Alfred noticed that Matthew's backpack was missing, too.

"Mattie? This isn't funny! Come out right now!"

Alfred concluded that Matthew wasn't in his bedroom. He checked every other room in the house, stomping around and screaming "Mattie!" on the top of his lungs.

He didn't let himself think that Matthew had run away. Matthew wasn't the kind of person to do that… was he?

It didn't matter where Matthew had gone. Alfred needed to find him. He nervously called one of his friends from high school, dialing as fast as his fingers would let him.

"Hello?" the voice said once it had answered the phone.

"Arthur? It's Alfred. Matthew's missing! I checked everywhere, I can't find him!"

"Slow down! What do you mean, Matthew's gone?" Arthur asked.

"He's not in the house! What if he was kidnapped? I'm freaking out, man!" Alfred cried.

"Before we assume that he was kidnapped, we should investigate more, first. Let's see… Is there any other information that you have?"

"Well… There is some stuff missing from his room. And I think he took some extra clothes."

"Alfred, I think he might have run away."

"He wouldn't do that!"

"This whole thing sounds like it was planned out. You should check for more missing items. Maybe he took some food."

Alfred entered the kitchen. Bread crumbs dotted the table, and a small bag of potato chips was on the floor.

"I think you were right… there's evidence. Now that I think about it, it does sound like he planned this. I don't know why he would run away, though."

"You should try reaching his cell phone," Arthur said.

"And if I can't reach him, I'm calling the cops," Alfred replied. "He's not going to get away."

Meanwhile, Matthew was in the busier part of town, grinning to himself. Nobody could get him now. He turned his head around and around to see all the cars driving down the multi-lane streets, the trucks puffing exhaust into the air, the shops looming above him.

He was unstoppable.

Then, during his moment of happiness, his phone rang.

Matthew took it out and looked at the external screen. Alfred was calling.

Guilt instantly flooded Matthew, and he silenced the phone. He could listen to Alfred's voice message later.

Knowing that Alfred was looking for him, Matthew knew that he should move faster, but he was too tired. He had been walking and running with few breaks for over twelve hours. And he hadn't figured out a good place to sleep.

It would be hard to rest in the middle of the day, with all the people out doing their business. Matthew figured that he would be bothered by strangers if he slept on a bench or something. He looked for a concealed, quiet spot where he wouldn't be disturbed.

He spotted a mattress store nearby. Sighing with relief, he made his way over to it, even though what he was going to do was probably illegal.

Beds, beds, beds. Beds everywhere. They were all arranged in rows, all lined up, just a few feet away from one another.

Matthew strolled around, not getting any attention from the store employees. Not being noticed finally had its pros instead of cons.

Matthew chose a bed all the way in the corner, far away from any windows. He flopped down onto it and dropped his backpack on the floor. His eyes fluttered shut, and he was sound asleep within seconds.

"Excuse me, sir, but we do not allow customers to sleep on beds until they purchase them. I'll need you to get up."

Matthew snapped to his senses. An older-looking woman was frowning at him from the foot of the bed.

"Yeah," Matthew said, chuckling. He was already plotting his escape out of the store. "Make me."

The woman's eyebrows shot up. She grabbed Matthew's legs with surprising force, and Matthew screamed in response.

"Don't touch me, woman!" he shrieked, and he pulled away. Grabbing his backpack, he jumped to his feet in a standing position. Then he took the leap of faith.

He landed on the next bed over, ending up on all fours. He stood up again and took another jump, and another.

Matthew ignored the woman's screams. He was having too much fun escaping with style, hopping from bed to bed all the way to the exit.

The automatic doors opened and Matthew sprinted out with the power of adrenaline. He didn't care that everyone was staring at him. He was finally getting noticed.

"I'm gonna call the police!" the woman screeched at Matthew, who was already halfway down the street.

Great, Matthew thought. He knew Alfred had probably called the police too. Now he would have to be extra cautious.

Once he was a few streets away from the matress store, Matthew checked his phone. It was around 5:40 PM. He was surprised that he had slept so long without being caught. Maybe the store's employees were just lazy.

A message popped up on the phone's screen.

"You have 1 new voicemail."

Matthew reluctantly opened his voicemail and knew that the message was from Alfred.

The message played.

"Hey, Matthew. This is Alfred. We figured out that you ran away. We don't know why you did it, but we're going to find you, okay? Bye."

Matthew deleted the message. Alfred had said "we". That probably meant he had more people out looking for Matthew.

He couldn't turn back now. He was having the time of his life. Who needed Alfred, anyways?

* * *

A/N: I don't know why I put this story in the hurt/comfort category. I mean, Matthew's depressed, but there's going to be a lot of humor in this story. Oh well. I might change it later.


	3. Chapter 3

The squad car rolled into Alfred's driveway, and a police officer stepped out. He approached the house and rang the doorbell. Alfred answered immediately.

"Oh, good, you're here!" Alfred cried. "Please, come in."

"So, you're Alfred Jones?" the officer asked, stepping inside.

"That's Alfred F. Jones to you. And what's your name?"

"Call me Officer Zwingli. Or Officer Vash, if you prefer. Now, what were you saying on the phone? Your brother is missing?"

"Yes. His name is Matthew Williams. He lives here, with me."

"Why don't you share a last name?"

"Ah… It's a long story involving our… parents. I'd rather not talk about it."

"That's fine. We don't need that information at the moment. Can you describe Matthew's appearance?" Officer Vash took out a small notepad and a pen.

"Okay. He's got blond-ish hair and blue eyes, kinda like me. He wears glasses. And he has this weird curly hair that sticks out from the others. He's about medium height, and he's sixteen."

"Good. Now, do you have any evidence of him leaving?"

"I actually called my friend when I noticed that Matthew was missing, around noon today. We figured out that Matthew ran away in the middle of the night. He took some things, like food, a backpack, clothes, and his cell phone."

"Do you know why he ran away?"

"I dunno. He wants attention, so maybe that was what he was doing. He's got depression."

"Alright, Mr. Jones. I think we can find your brother. I'll send out an alert. Also, we can track his cell phone. We just need his number."

"I'll give it to you." Before Alfred could continue talking, Officer Vash's walkie talkie began to make sounds.

"One moment, please," Officer Vash said, taking the walkie talkie.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We just got a call from that one mattress place. A woman's totally freaking out. Apparently some kid was jumping on the beds and screwing around," the other officer said.

"Hmm. I'm actually dealing with a missing kid right now. Can you get a description?"

"Mmhmm."

The other officer gave a description of the kid, and Officer Vash looked surprised.

"That sounds exactly like the kid I'm looking for. Maybe it's the same person."

"Oh!" Alfred shouted. "That sounds like something Matthew would do. When he was little, he said that he wanted to jump across the beds at a mattress store. He's livin' the dream!"

"I'm going to head over to the store. I'm sure Matthew isn't too far. Do you want to come?" Officer Vash asked.

"I think you know what you're doing, so I won't bother you. I'm gonna call my friends and form a search party! Oh, and here's Matthew's cell phone number. You'll need it."

"Yes, yes. Good luck. See you later. I'll stop by if we find anything, or we'll call you." Officer Vash left as quickly as he had came.

Alfred picked up his phone and went through his contacts. He knew exactly who to call.

About two or three miles away, Matthew was strolling through another residential area, eating his last sandwich. He decided to stop at a store in the morning; he couldn't risk getting spotted by the creepy mattress store lady.

Matthew also realized he had only one water bottle left. It was 6:00. He would have to make it last.

Suddenly, Matthew spotted a squad car patrolling the streets. They were probably looking for him. He quickly dashed into someone's driveway and hid behind their house, on edge and ready to run.

The police didn't notice him, but Matthew soon realized that the owners of the house might come outside and see him. Looking around, he noticed that the yards had short fences. He could easily climb over them and continue moving. Chances were, he couldn't be spotted.

Matthew finished off his sandwich and climbed over the first fence, entering the adjacent yard. His gymnastic skills were finally paying off.

He continued hopping over the fences, making his way to the last house on the street. Suddenly, someone opened the back door of the house. Matthew froze.

Matthew and the man made eye contact. The man turned around and screamed "Kiku! There's a kid in the yard!" at the top of his lungs. Matthew saw this as an opportunity to run away. But he wouldn't be able to reach the fence in time.

The man was still facing away from Matthew, so Matthew ran behind the garage. He noticed that the garage had a back door as well. He tried the doorknob, and, surprisingly, it was unlocked. Matthew entered the garage, closed the door, and tried to move around in the darkness.

He bumped into a bicycle and decided to hide behind it. The man, who had apparently gotten Kiku's attention, was walking around the yard, searching for Matthew.

"He was here a minute ago!" the man cried.

"There's nobody here," the other individual, probably Kiku, said.

"He must have ran away," the man replied. "Sorry for dragging you out here, Kiku. Let's go back inside."

Matthew, crouched down by the bike, listened for the footsteps of the two individuals. They became softer and softer until they were gone.

When he was sure the men were gone, Matthew stood up and searched for a way to turn the lights. He eventually found a lightswitch and flicked it on. The garage lit up.

Matthew let out a soft "yes!" as he found out that this garage had a refridgerator. He opened the bottom door and found cans of soda and bottles of water. Upon closer inspection of the garage, Matthew also discovered that it had a small cabinet filled with snacks. He stuffed various food and drink items into the empty space in the backpack.

Matthew, figuring he could just eat his dinner in the garage, sat down with all the food he could grab and chowed down.

He didn't realize how hungry he was; he was probably needing fuel because of his lack of sleep. There was absolutely no food left when Matthew was finished eating. It was only 7:00, but he was already tired. He needed to rest anyways.

Laying down on the floor, Matthew tried to process the events of the day. He had survived a few hours out on his own, with many more to come. He could make it.

He fell asleep within a few minutes. His dreams were strange and had no logic. Just as always. At one point in the middle of the night, Matthew woke up, expecting to be in his bed at home. But no, he was on the cold floor of a garage.

He missed Alfred already.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are we there yet?" Yao chirped from the back of the car.

"No," Alfred muttered. He was fed up with Yao constantly asking if they had arrived.

"Are we there yet?" Yao asked again.

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Yes, we are. Get out of the car," Alfred said. Yao frowned and stopped talking.

Alfred regretted taking his friends from high school with him to the "crime scene". Sure, they could make an awesome search party when they teamed up, but they could really annoy each other. Just like in senior year.

"Are we there yet?" Ivan piped up.

Alfred, who was now driving on a side street, put the brakes on the car and turned around.

"I swear, if you don't shut up, I'm gonna kick your ass."

Yao shrunk down into his seat. Ivan didn't react at all. Arthur, who was unfortunately squished between the two of them, sighed. He was clearly sick of the noise.

Angrily, Alfred faced the road again and set off for the mattress store.

"You should all be more like Francis," Alfred said. "He's quiet and respectful."

"Hey! I'm not doing anything!" Arthur yelled.

"Does it look like I'm talking to you?"

"You should be nice and respectful too, Alfred," Francis said.

"Why did I bring you people with me?" Alfred murmured under his breath.

Luckily for him, the mattress store was straight ahead. He parked the car and everyone piled out, like they were in a clown car. Officer Vash was waiting.

"You made it. Good," Officer Vash said. "I was just about to go in and inspect the area."

"Does this even qualify as a crime?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know," Officer Vash replied. "The woman was screaming on the phone. I couldn't understand her. I do know that an officer on patrol checked out the surrounding streets yesterday, but that's it."

Everyone entered the store, gaining attention from customers and employees.

"Oh, thank God… Someone actually came!" a voice shouted from somewhere in the store. It turned out to be the woman that supposedly encountered Matthew.

"Yes, we're here. Can you explain what happened?" Officer Vash asked.

"There was this boy, about sixteen years old, just snoozing on the bed! Just sleeping there! On one of the store beds! I tried to wake him up. He was startled and hopped from bed to bed to the door. Then he ran away."

"Well, I'm not actually sure if that's something to alert the police about. Damaged property, maybe. Luckily for you, we've been looking for a boy that fits your description. We believe he ran away from home. What direction did he run in?"

"That way," the woman pointed.

"Alfred," Officer Vash turned around. "Do you want to search?"

"Yeah. That's why I brought my friends. There's five of us, so we can't miss Matthew."

"Good. Let's go."

A few blocks away, Matthew was woken up by shouting. He jumped up from the concrete floor. Someone had turned on the lights in the garage. It was the man he had encountered yesterday, and the man was gesturing to someone else outside.

"Kiku, it's the kid again!" the man screamed.

"Heracles," the other man, probably Kiku, said. "You're seeing things. There is nobody here."

"He's in the garage!"

Matthew charged out the door and past Heracles at full speed. He took a sharp turn around the garage and nearly plowed over Kiku, who was approaching the door.

"Hey!"

In a flash, Matthew had hopped the fence and was running down the street.

"It's too late," Kiku said. "I don't think we can catch him."

"We can still report him. He trespassed on our property!" Heracles cried.

"That's not enough of a crime by itself."

"Oh, well. Let's check the garage to make sure nobody else is hiding in there."

Both individuals went inside the garage, inspecting every nook and cranny of the space. Kiku noticed that the refridgerator door was slightly ajar. Curious, he opened the door and noticed that there was nothing left inside.

"He took our drinks!" Kiku said.

Heracles looked around, searching for other possibly missing items. He discovered that the snack cabinets were empty, too.

"That's it. I'm reporting him." Heracles angrily stomped out of the garage.

Matthew was already two blocks away, catching his breath from his quick escape.

He had already pulled off two illegal stunts. Was he going to resort to a life of crime? His money wouldn't last forever, and he didn't have the skills to apply for a job. Not even a job at McDonald's could work.

At least he had more food now. Matthew would have eaten some more at that moment, but he was feeling sick. Something in his body wasn't right.

Over the course of half an hour, Matthew felt more and more pain in his intestines, and it got to the point where he had to vomit in some random person's front yard.

Matthew realized that he was sick because he was overly anxious and on edge. He needed somewhere to regain his bearings where he felt safe. Garages were a definite no. The sun was high in the sky, meaning that it was noon. Lunch hour. People would be out and about, giving Matthew more chances to be caught. He couldn't trust anyone.

That thought made Matthew feel a little sad inside. At this point, anyone could have heard of his escape and could be on the lookout for him. They would take him to the police station, to Alfred. He couldn't go back home now. He was so far away.

Matthew's vision began to blur. He told himself not to cry, to be strong. But he couldn't hold back the tears. He was too overwhelmed. This was all too much to comprehend in just a few hours.

Promising himself that things would get better, Matthew trekked on. It was too early on in his adventure to give up. It was all like one big game, and Matthew was sure he could win.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Alfred." Arthur said as he stared out the car window.

"Yeah?"

"Can you briefly refresh me on Matthew's appearance? It's been so long since I've seen him."

Yao wasn't entirely listening to the conversation. He was fiddling with the window on his side of the car, sliding it up and down. He did hear Alfred mention that Matthew had a weird curly hair. At that moment, Yao spotted a person walking down the sidewalk, who had a strange strand of hair sticking up. In fact, he seemed to fit Alfred's description exactly.

"Stop the car!" Yao screamed. The vehicle skidded to a halt.

"What?"

"I think I see Matthew! Look!"

Matthew hadn't paid any attention to the car until it stopped in the middle of the street.

He could recognize it anywhere. It was Alfred's car. He knew the voices inside it, too.

Matthew was sick of running, but he didn't have a choice. He took off running, with Alfred in pursuit. His friends joined him. Soon they were all sprinting at full speed.

"Matthew! Please, listen to me!" Alfred yelled. "We need you to come back home! I don't know why you're running away, but we can't have you just wandering around!"

At that moment, Matthew wanted nothing more than to run into his brother's welcoming arms. But no, that would make him look weak. As much as he wanted to, there was no going back.

He couldn't hold up running for too long. Matthew had only so much energy. He needed a place to rest, and the nearest place nearby was a tree with low-hanging branches.

Without warning, Matthew took a sharp turn and scrambled up the tree. Alfred and his friends stopped nearby, panting.

"Matthew! You get down here right now! The police are already searching for you! You can't do this any longer!" Alfred called. He was right. Matthew couldn't do it any longer.

But even if he did return home, things wouldn't get better. He would still be ignored and unloved. Why was it only now that Alfred showed concern for him?

Matthew could only stare down at his brother. Things would be better this way, he thought.

He knew that the only way to escape from his pursuers would to climb up to the top of the tree, but he would have cornered himself. At least this particular tree was close to a house. Maybe he could hop on the roof and-

"Okay, you asked for it! I'm climbing up!" Alfred grabbed the lowest branch and hoisted himself onto it.

He had to make a decision, now.

Matthew turned around, reached for the nearest branch, and began climbing again. The tree was just tall enough to reach the roof of the two-story house nearby. If he was fast enough, he could get there in time before Alfred caught up with him.

As he ascended, the branches became smaller and weaker. They wouldn't be able to hold up his weight for long. They also swayed in the breeze, shaking Matthew with them. Don't look down, don't look down.

Instead of looking down, Matthew spotted a large, open window. How convienent. The tree was tall enough to reach it. It didn't even have a screen. He could just squeeze through the gap.

Matthew scurried up the tree while Alfred pulled himself slowly up the trunk. He was almost there. Maybe, if he got inside the house, he could have a few minutes to plan his escape. Alfred probably wouldn't be able to fit in the window anyways.

Soon, the window was just a few steps away. However, the branches that Matthew had to walk across were weak. Alfred was only a few feet behind.

"Matthew, don't!"

It was too late. Matthew was already shuffling along the branches.

Suddenly, a quick gust of wind knocked into the tree. In Matthew's eyes, everything was in slow motion, from him slipping to the realization that he was falling. In Alfred's eyes, everything moved quickly as he grabbed Matthew's arm and pulled him back up.

Matthew was at a loss for words. He was still trying to recover from the shock when Alfred hugged him close as best he could, considering they were still in the tree.

"Oh my God, Matthew, you need to come home right now. Please. Let's just go."

Matthew pulled away. "Alfred," he said quietly. "I left for a reason."

"Why?"

"You know exactly what you did."

Fear spread over Alfred's face. "What did I do?"

"After all this time, why is now the only time when you actually care about me? Do you know how many times you've just left me hanging? Not even caring about what happens to me, just ditching me wherever and doing your own thing?" Matthew raised his voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't." Matthew frowned. With that, he turned around and took a running jump into the window. He skinned his knee on the concrete ledge, but other than that, he rolled safely into the house and shut the window behind him.

Officer Vash pulled up behind Alfred's friends and hopped out of the squad car. Alfred himself was already on his way down in a panic.

"Arthur, thanks for calling. I'm glad that we were able to track down Matthew," Officer Vash said.

"Yes, but could you have been a little faster? Matthew got into the house through an open window. Alfred chased him up the tree." Arthur sighed.

"I'm sorry. Ms. Héderváry was stalling me."

"Who?"

"That woman who saw Matthew at the mattress store."

"What? You were flirting with that old lady?" Francis piped up.

"No, I was not flirting with her. And believe it or not, she's in her twenties."

"Whatever. Well, here comes Alfred."

"Officer Vash," Alfred uttered, out of breath. "Matthew went through an open window. He could be anywhere in the house by now!"

"I can't search the house without a warrant. I'm sure we could talk to the owners of the house, if they're home. They could help us find Matthew."

Within the house, Matthew noticed that he had jumped into a bedroom window. The bed in the room was neatly made, the light was on, and a computer on a desk was running. Whoever lived here was home.

Matthew heard familiar voices coming from downstairs. He guessed that Alfred was confronting the house's owner or something. He had to hide, and fast.

Quickly, Matthew darted into the hallway. A staircase led down to the ground floor. Now he could clearly hear his pursuers' voices mixed in with unknown ones. Someone started up the stairs.

A closet nearby seemed like a good hiding place. In a flash, Matthew was in the closet, hidden under some empty boxes. Unluckily for him, though, the closet didn't have a lock on it. He had cornered himself again.

Muffled voices came closer and closer. A snuffling sound could be heard close to the closet door. A dog. Matthew imagined himself face-to-face with a giant, burly guard dog. Of course the one house he decided to hide in had a dog. That was just his luck.

The door swung open. Matthew held his breath.

The dog yipped and bonked one of the boxes with its nose. Matthew felt a little relieved. A big dog couldn't make a sound like that.

"What is it, Hanatamago?" an unfamilar voice said. What a funny name for a dog, Matthew thought. The dog scratched at the other boxes.

The boxes were lifted, revealing Matthew underneath. Shouts came from the dog person, and Officer Vash shouted back.

Within a few seconds, Officer Vash was up the stairs and glaring down at Matthew.

"Come with me without putting up a fight, and there won't be any trouble," Officer Vash growled.

But Matthew had already hatched an escape plan. He stood up, nodded, and walked out of the closet. He could now see the dog person, a short, blond fellow, who was holding the fluffball of a dog in his arms.

Officer Vash held onto Matthew's arm with an iron grip and led Matthew down the stairs. Matthew did spot a tall, glasses-wearing man on the way down, but he focused on his escape and nothing else.

Matthew fooled Officer Vash into thinking that he wouldn't run away, so Officer Vash let up on his grip. That was the only cue Matthew needed. Despite how tired and sick he felt, he took off for the millionth time.

All the activity in one day was putting a lot of stress on Matthew, but he wasn't going to just give up. He was so far already. He could take a bus ride to the next town over or something. Then he would be farther and farther away.

Then what?

Matthew wasn't sure what he would do. He would have to find a way to get money. Get a job, make enough money to buy food, live wherever it was habitable.

Eww. Now that Matthew had thought about it, it seemed like a bad idea. But he couldn't focus on it now. He had to run, run, run.


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of Matthew's day was uneventful. His ability to slip through small gaps in fences and such helped him escape Alfred and everyone else. Being as thin as a rail finally paid off.

"Alfred never learns, does he?" Matthew said to himself. He chuckled a little.

After getting away successfully, Matthew changed into the clean clothes he had in his backpack. He also put on a hooded sweatshirt to hide his face. Everyone probably knew what he looked like now, so it was as close to a disguise that he had. He imagined that photos of himself had been plastered everywhere because of Alfred.

Matthew couldn't help feeling sorry for Alfred. The poor man wouldn't even notice his own brother half the time.

"Can you help me with my homework?" Matthew would ask.

"Ehh," Alfred would reply.

"Is that a yes, or no?"

"Nah." Alfred would appear more focused on something else. He would never notice that Matthew was failing his classes.

The day after Matthew's escape from the strangers' house, some rain clouds had blown in. A light drizzle fell on the town. After buying a sandwich at a 7-Eleven, Matthew waited at the bus stop. He didn't care where he was headed.

The drizzle became a heavier rain. People on the streets rushed into buildings and cars to stay dry. Matthew stayed in the booth, watching the water drops slide down the glass. He was all alone on the street now.

The bus pulled up ten minutes later. Matthew boarded, paid his fee, and looked for an open seat. The bus was crowded, but there was space towards the back of the bus. Matthew sat next to a white-haired stranger who looked vaguely familiar to him. The bus rumbled down the road.

"Your brother misses you very much."

Matthew looked around, startled. "Who was that?"

"It's me." The stranger poked Matthew.

"Uh, who are you?"

"You don't know who I am?"

"You look sort of familiar, I guess."

The stranger laughed. "We go to the same school! Don't you ever see me in the hallways?"

Matthew shook his head. "Your name?"

"Gilbert."

"Oh, so you're Gilbert. I think I remember you now." A pause. "You didn't happen to set off a firecracker on school grounds two years ago, did you?" Matthew's mind uncovered memories of the only Gilbert he knew, the one who had become notorious for getting detentions every week at school for various reasons.

"Dude, there's only one Gilbert in our school. Who do you think did it?"

"Did you get suspended?"

"Yeah. A week." Gilbert smiled.

"Enough about that. How do you know about my brother?"

"He was on the news, bawling like a baby. Plus, my little brother told me your story. Lemme tell you, you are going to be in huge trouble when you go back home. Running away from the police? What were you thinking? You've already broken the law. Now everyone's searching for you. And I mean everyone. Alfred's friends told their friends, and they told everyone else. Heck, they're even tracking your cell phone." Gilbert narrowed his eyes. "I should just bring you to the police station right now!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Someone might hear!"

"You know what? When we get off this bus, I am calling the police! You're going to get hurt if you keep running away."

"No! Please don't!" Matthew pleaded. "I can't go home now."

"Why not? Don't you miss Alfred? You have to go home some time, you know."

"I need... I need to get away."

"Get away from what?"

"From my life."

"That isn't a legititmate reason."

"Look, Gilbert, it's really hard to explain. Alfred is my guardian, but he's kind of irresponsible. Then there's all this school-related stress, all these jerks who try to pick on me, and there's no one to help me. No one notices me, ever. I need attention."

"I see. So you're doing this not for an escape, but to get attention. But I'm still calling the police, you know."

"What? No!" Matthew frowned. "What should I expect from a bully?" he muttered under his breath.

"Hey! I am not a bully!" Gilbert snapped. "Have I ever done anything mean to you?"

Matthew thought. "Actually, no." He recalled a previous conversation with Gilbert, just a few months earlier. Gilbert had actually been smiling. Matthew couldn't imagine why he was smiling. Maybe he was happy, or coming up with rumors to torture Matthew.

"Right," said Gilbert. "Would a bully do the wrong thing and let you run wild? I'm doing what's best for you."

"I find it hard to believe that you would do what's best for someone."

"Gee, what have people been telling you? I'm not a bad guy. I swear."

The bus slowed to a stop.

"Tell you what," Gilbert said. "I'll let you go and not call the police if you do me a favor."

"Nope. I'm not that stupid. That favor is allowing you to beat me up, right?"

"Once we get off the bus, I'll tell you. I can promise you that I won't hurt you."

Matthew started toward the exit, and Gilbert followed.

"I still don't trust you."

"Pinky swear that I won't hurt you?"

"If it makes you feel better, yes."

As they stepped off the bus, Matthew reached out. Gilbert hooked his pinky around Matthew's.

"Pinky swear," Gilbert said.

"I need a second to do something really quick," Matthew said suddenly. He considered running away, but he knew that Gilbert could probably catch up to him. Instead, he looked around at his feet.

He and Gilbert were standing in front of a small store's parking lot, and by the looks of it, no one had been there for a while. The asphalt was cracked in many places. Perfect for Matthew's plan.

"Hey, where are you going?" Gilbert called. Matthew paced around the parking lot.

"Looking for a chunk of asphalt," Matthew replied. He kneeled down near a large crack, grabbed a loose aspalt chunk, and yanked it out. After placing it on the ground, he opened his backpack and retrieved his cell phone.

"I don't understand. What are you-" Before Gilbert could finish talking, Matthew began smashing his phone to bits.

"Gee, that's kind of harsh. Are you that bent on running away?" Gilbert tried talking again.

"Well, you said that they were tracking my phone, right? Now they can't. The rain will ruin it. Besides, Alfred kept calling me."

"Don't just think about yourself. Alfred's worried sick."

"Since when did you care?"

"Do I really seem like a jerk to you? I'm not trying to upset you."

Matthew smashed his device one last time. Wires, circuit boards, and a memory chip flew across the pavement. "Now they can't find me," he said, satisfied.

"You still owe me a favor, you know."

"Yeah. What were you going to do, again?"

Suddenly, Gilbert's face turned red. He bit his upper lip in thought, then shook his head. "Uhhh... I need you to come over here. A bit closer."

Matthew was skeptical. "This doesn't seem right. I'm not going to step into your trap."

"I told you, I'm not going to hurt you!"

"Look, Gilbert. I really don't think this is a good idea. I'm sorry."

"Oh. I see. Then I should just call the police, then." With a smirk, Gilbert pulled out his own cell phone. Matthew's eyes widened.

"Look at me now. I'm reaching for the button. I'm going to dial their number."

"No!" Matthew cried.

"One digit. Two digits."

"No, don't!" Matthew screamed as he lunged at Gilbert. Gilbert held up the phone high above Matthew's head. Angrily, Matthew hopped up and down to reach it.

Gilbert grinned. He threw his phone backwards, where it landed in a patch of grass. Matthew looked confused.

In a flash, Gilbert pushed Matthew's hood away from his face and forcefully yanked Matthew closer. He didn't intend to hurt him, though.

Rain splashed onto their faces. Matthew wasn't exactly sure what Gilbert wanted to do, but Gilbert himself already had a plan forming in his mind. Matthew was more scared than anything when Gilbert's face drew closer and closer to his own. He closed his eyes, hoping that Gilbert would leave, but that wasn't going to happen.

It all made sense, why Gilbert was so nice to him. It was what one might call a "crush", which didn't occur to Matthew. He had always pictured bullies to be cold and heartless. However, people weren't one-dimensional. Maybe Gilbert wasn't such a bad guy after all.

And Gilbert leaned and kissed Matthew right on the lips.

Matthew struggled and drew away from Gilbert.

"You're screwed up!" Matthew screamed.

"What? You have a problem with me?"

"You... You tricked me!"

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, but you manipulated me!"

"I did nothing to you."

Matthew sighed angrily and yanked his hood back up. "There's no way I can reason with you."

"Matthew, you're acting crazy. I really like you."

"Haven't you ever thought about how I feel? I should have never trusted you in the first place! I hate you! Why does everything have to happen to me?"

Gilbert almost seemed to be crying, or maybe it was the rain. "Go, then! I don't care!" he yelled.

Without another word, Matthew turned and sprinted away. Gilbert didn't move for the next few minutes. Matthew didn't stop running until he was blocks away. He felt sick all over, and he had no idea of where he was.

Maybe he should have just let Gilbert bring him home.

Before he could finish his complete thought, Matthew stopped himself. No, he must not think about Gilbert. He couldn't think about anything. But his emotions got the better of him, and Matthew was lonlier than ever.

Where could he go now?


	7. Chapter 7

"I'm a terrible brother!" Alfred screamed.

"No, you're not. Matthew's just a little upset. When Officer Vash comes back, he can help us find Matthew," Francis replied.

"This is all my fault!" Alfred cried as he reached for a tissue. He blew his nose, threw the tissue across the room, and continued to cry.

"It's nobody's fault."

"You're not helping! Go away!" Angrily, Alfred shooed Francis away. Francis shrugged and got off the sofa.

"Alfred, would some McDonald's make you feel better?" Ivan asked. Alfred looked up and nodded sadly.

"Very well. I will drive out and get some. Does anyone want anything?"

Yao, Francis and Arthur shook their heads, but Alfred uttered "Big Mac" before crying again. Ivan shrugged and left.

The rain pounded against Ivan's car. It seemed awfully lonely outside. No one was out there, but that was to be expected. Not one car was out on the road.

Ivan squinted out the window. He saw a fellow trudging along the sidewalk. Ivan knew he had seen that person before, somewhere. He took a quick moment to remember. It came to him in a flash: Gilbert. He had seen him at high school.

Ivan honked the horn. Gilbert jumped as the car pulled a u-turn, pulling up next to him. Ivan rolled down the window.

"Gilbert, is it?" Ivan asked. He then noticed that Gilbert's eyes had become pink. "Long time no see! What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry! I should've called the cops!" Gilbert wailed all of a sudden.

"What? What's going on?" If Gilbert was crying, Ivan thought, something must have gone terribly wrong.

"I saw Matthew! I know that he's missing! I saw Alfred on the news! But I saw Matthew, and I talked to him, and he told me not to tell! And he smashed his cell phone into a gazillion little pieces so that the cops can't track him! He's still running! That way!" Gilbert pointed.

Ivan was skeptical. Gilbert was known for being a prankster and bully, so he doubted that his concern was genuine. He must have been really upset.

"So he told you not to tell the police?" Ivan asked.

"He begged me not to!"

"But you knew he had gone missing?"

"Yes, but-"

"Why did you listen to him? He's probably in _danger_!"

"He hates me! And I don't want him to hate me anymore. So I said that I would let him go if-"

Ivan abruptly opened the door in anger. "_You let him go?_ He didn't just run away from you, you just let him get away?" Gilbert flinched.

"But-"

"No buts. Listen. You get in this car _right now_, and you tell me where he went. I need to call Alfred." Gilbert nodded out of fear. He didn't want to know what Ivan would do to him if he didn't go along with it. He didn't want his face smashed into the concrete.

Gilbert entered the car on the passenger side while Ivan yelled into his cell phone. Gilbert couldn't understand exactly what was being said by the people Ivan was talking to, but there was screaming on the other end.

"Which way?" Ivan demanded.

"He was probably going to the bus stop, just east from here."

Ivan slammed on the gas and drove way over the speed limit. Gilbert didn't comment like he usually would. He was too busy thinking about how Matthew would hate him, maybe fear him. He should have just called the police anyways, for Matthew's safety. For all he knew, Matthew could have been dead by now. And it all would have been _his fault_, his fault only. Because he cared more about himself and his own thoughts more than poor Matthew.

Matthew hadn't wanted anything to do with Gilbert. Yet, Gilbert had still forced his feelings onto him. That was it. Gilbert had ruined all chances of anything happening between them. God, why'd he try to kiss him? He should have just asked, but he knew that Matthew would refuse.

"Turn here, correct?" Ivan asked. He sounded much calmer. Gilbert was relieved.

"Yes."

The bus stop was only a few yards away. However, no one was there.

"He could have left on a bus already," Gilbert said quietly.

"We shouldn't worry. I called Alfred. He knows. We live in a small town, too, so things like this are rare. Everyone will be looking for him." Ivan gestured towards the door. "Go."

Gilbert nodded and opened the door. He had already stepped out when Ivan said something.

"Were you crying?"

"Uhh... Yeah. A little." Gilbert turned away.

"Why?"

Gilbert sighed. "Everyone thinks I'm a jerk or something. Even Matthew. I should have helped him, and now he hates my guts. Not that he didn't hate me before."

"I see. But I'm sure Alfred appreciates your help. And not everyone would trust me as much as you did today, yes?" Ivan chuckled a bit.

Gilbert looked briefly in Ivan's direction. Then he closed the door behind him, leaving him alone in the rain once again.

When Ivan returned to Alfred's house, Alfred was no longer in tears, but instead discussing something with his friends.

"I have the burger," Ivan said.

"No time for that. We need to figure out where Matthew's headed. But it won't take long," Alfred said, almost smiling.

"How?"

"Well, first of all, he didn't take his medication. I found it all in the medicine box. It's for his depression, so pretty soon he'll start getting withdrawls from not taking it. Second, he only has so much money, and he'll run out eventually. Third, we've practically got the whole town searching for him, right? They'll find him if we don't. Heck, we even have Officer Vash, who's probably out looking right now. See? Matthew will need to come home soon."

It was good to see Alfred being optimistic. He was right. Matthew could only keep running for so long. It was nearly impossible for him not to be caught.

"He could have taken a bus or just walked. However, he couldn't have left the town by now." said Alfred.

"But what can we do?" Francis asked.

"Not much. I'm convinced that someone will find Matthew, or he'll come running back to us."

Alfred smiled and leaned back. "I do have to give him a little credit. Smashing his cell phone? Pretty genius. I don't know about that matress store thing, though. It's a little tempting to jump like that, but I doubt someone would actually do that. Surprised he had the momentum to make every jump." He laughed. "He thought it would be all fun-and-games, didn't he? Thought the freedom of doing whatever he wanted would be good. Pretty soon, though, he'll learn. He's gonna be in so much trouble."

"You're going to punish him?" Arthur said.

"No, but the law certainly is. Dude, he stole from someone and broke into a random person's house! Maybe I can get Officer Vash to let him off the hook. Hah."

"Alfred, you're taking this all quite well," Ivan said quietly.

"We've practically won already! C'mon! Gimme the burger, too. I'm starving. Talking makes me hungry."

After a few minutes, Alfred excused himself to go to the restroom. He entered, and made sure that the door was locked. He smiled at himself at the mirror. It looked like a good, fake smile. One that could fool others into thinking he was happy, fool them into thinking that the battle had already been won. But it was a deceptive smile. It was true that Matthew probably couldn't survive on his own for much longer, but that didn't mean that things would automatically get better when he returned. There was still the mental recovery for both Alfred and Matthew.

Alfred knew what happened to people who thought they had escaped the law. They would no longer be themselves; instead, a distorted reflection. It was like war. People could go about their lives not wanting to harm a single soul, but during war, they would _change_. And it would haunt them forever.

Alfred couldn't deny that fact that Matthew had changed, too. It was always fight-or-flight, survival instincts, on the run. Matthew had been gone for far too long, now. It would take him long to recover.

Grinning in the mirror, Alfred checked to make sure that his smile looked legitimate. He unlocked the door and marched out, pretending that Matthew was running home right now, all happy and smiles.

He couldn't avoid the truth. Matthew had changed for the worse. Not forever, but Alfred knew that Matthew would regret everything he did while running away. He hoped his brother would come home soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Matthew's head was spinning.

His clothes and backpack were soaked, he was in an unfamiliar neighborhood, his stomach could no longer hold any sort of food, and he was extremely cold.

Luckily for him, it had stopped raining, but the clean clothes in his backpack didn't warm him up. Headaches rattled his brain and made him dizzy. He wouldn't admit it, but he wished he could go back home.

The problem was, though, he didn't know where he was. The sky was still overcast, so he didn't know what time it was. That also meant that only a few people were outside in the gloom. He was totally lost, with no means of getting help.

Then he saw it.

A payphone. Matthew didn't think that there were any payphones around anymore, but there happened to be one by a gas station. What luck.

Ignoring his headache, he rushed over, shaking in his soggy clothes, digging through his pockets to find the little money he still had; everything was hurting, his head was on fire, but he still dialed, still shoved the quarters into the slot, still picked up the receiver.

It almost hurt him to call. He had tried so hard to run away, and now he was giving up. But he knew that he probably wouldn't last a few more days without losing total consciousness.

The phone sitting next to Alfred began to ring.

Alfred didn't recognize the number, but he picked it up anyway.

When he heard the voice, he nearly began to cry. It was too good to be true.

He would never have thought that Matthew would seek help. He was convinced that it was all over. He had told himself that it was all his fault enough times to the point where he thought it was true.

Within three minutes, Matthew gave Alfred a few street names, just before the call paused, and Matthew had to put in more quarters. Next three minutes. Alfred was surprised to learn that Matthew was in the next town over, and he promised that he would get there as soon as possible.

Matthew was out of change, and the call abruptly ended. Just those six minutes gave Alfred some hope.

When Alfred drove, he didn't care that he went through several red lights and nearly caused an accident. The only thing that mattered was that his brother, the one person he cared for the most, was still alive. It was his own fault that Matthew had run away. Now he had to fix the problem.

He pulled up to the gas station fifteen minutes later, but the person he saw waiting for him looked nothing like his brother. Matthew wasn't that skinny. Matthew's hair was never that dishelveled. Matthew never had such dark circles under his eyes. Yet, Alfred knew that was what Matthew had become, and it was _all his fault_.

Silently, Matthew entered the car. Alfred handed him a towel to dry off his clothes a bit. There were no words spoken for the first few minutes of the drive.

"Matthew, I'm really sorry. It's all my fault," Alfred uttered.

"No. You did nothing wrong. I'm just... stupid."

"You're not stupid. Don't say that. I should have been a better guardian. I promise I'll be better now."

"Alfred, no... I'm just selfish! I thought I could run away from my problems. But in reality, I just screwed everything up. I thought I could fix things..."

"Fix what?"

Matthew buried his head in his hands. "Just... just... everything! I feel like everything's a mess."

"Trust me, things will get better."

"How do you know?" Matthew growled.

"You're not the only one who has suffered in your life. I've seen some shit happen." Alfred cleared his throat. "Pardon my French."

Matthew sighed. "Yeah..."

The car pulled into the driveway. "Look, you can eat whatever you want, take your pills, and lay down. I have to call some people, it's important. Oh, and change out of those clothes."

Matthew felt like a stranger in his own home. He could barely believe he had run away only a few nights ago; it seemed like an eternity. How much time had passed, anyway? Matthew had no idea what day it was. His body's internal clock was completely thrown off.

When he entered his bedroom, he noticed that it was a lot cleaner than he had left it. He recalled leaving his bed unmade, yet the sheets were clean and the bed was made. The carpet had been vaccuumed, the desk had been dusted, and the clothes that Matthew sometimes left on the floor were back in the drawers. Alfred had been busy, Matthew thought.

The microwave beeped in the kitchen. Alfred was probably making something. Matthew dropped his backpack, changed into fresh clothes, and entered the kitchen, where Alfred was heating up leftover pizza.

"Here," Alfred said, handing Matthew the plate. "There's a glass of water on the table with your meds. I need to call the police, tell 'em that we found you."

Leftover pizza had never tasted so good to Matthew. He ate quickly, forgetting that his stomach was still having a hard time keeping food down. Somehow, it stuck with him, maybe because he knew he was safe at home now.

Alfred was arguing with someone on the phone. Matthew heard his name mentioned multiple times, and after a few minutes, Alfred hung up and entered the kitchen.

"That was the police officer that was helping us? Do you remember him, from when you were in that house?" Alfred said as he sat down. Matthew nodded. "Well, he's glad you're safe. But he thinks you're some sort of juvenile delinquent. You, uh, well... You're kind of in legal trouble right now. I mean, you slept in a freaking mattress store, stole food, and broke- well, sort of- into a house. He wants to see you now, but I told him to hold off, and he got real mad. You need to get your strength back first." Alfred glanced down at the plate, now empty. "Gee, you ate fast."

"Yeah. I'm starving." Matthew replied.

"I'll get you something more nutritious, then."

Alfred prepared a fruit salad, and all was quiet until he remembered something. "Oh yeah, that Gilbert guy called the house, like, ten times. Ivan found him outside when he was going to get food. Man, he was sad. He said that he saw you. What did you do to the poor guy?"

"He's stupid."

"Stupid? What do you mean, stupid?"

"He's a creep. And he's really weird."

"Would you mind explaining? Actually... Start from the beginning. I want to know everything."

Matthew sighed. "Okay, but it's going to take a long time."

(Author's Note: I feel terrible for not updating for so long! :/ I appreciate all your support for this story. If it weren't for you guys, I probably would have stopped writing by now. You're all awesome.

So, yeah, I'll be finishing this story up pretty soon. I hope you all stick around, and stay tuned!)


	9. Chapter 9

"Do I seriously have to call everyone and apologize?" Matthew whined.

"Well, I would suggest doing that. Officer Vash wants to throw in juvie, so maybe calling them would help change his mind. Probably not. But it's worth a try," Alfred said. He handed Matthew a slip of paper. "I made you a list of all the names and numbers."

Matthew read the list.

_Elizabeth Héderváry. Apparently, she flipped out when you were in the mattress store. She reported almost having a heart attack. Almost._

"Alfred, you can't be serious."

"That's what she told us! I swear, she was going nuts. I don't even know."

_Kiku Honda and Heracles Karpusi. They reported seeing you in their garage, stealing food. They also said that all food items in their garage were gone._

"How much is junk food, anyway? Why can't they just buy more?"

"I don't think it's about money. They're more concerned about the fact that you stole from them. It's a safety thing. I mean, stealing is punishable by law."

_Berwald Oxenstierna and Tino Väinämöinen. They reported a break-in. Enough said._

"Break-in? I did not break in! The window was open! It's their fault for not installing a screen or whatever!"

"I saw you go in there! Out of all places to go... You could have avoided all this running away drama earlier on."

Matthew didn't reply.

_Gilbert Beilschmidt. He called the house at least a dozen times. And he cried a little. Don't tell him I said that._

Matthew slammed the list down onto the table. "I am not going to call him."

"You better call him! He was so concerned about you!"

"He's a creep! He..." Matthew stopped himself.

"He what? When you were explaining your... _adventure_... to me, you said that you encountered him. But you didn't exactly tell me what happened."

"Uhh... Nothing."

"Matthew, if this kid has done anything to you, you can tell me." Alfred looked concerned.

"I said nothing."

"Nothing means something."

"...I'll tell you later."

"Ah-ha! Something did happen. But we don't have to talk about it now. I mean, if it's not too serious, you can talk it over with him first. I don't want to pressure you." Alfred handed Matthew the paper again. "Now, get calling."

Matthew dialed the first number as Alfred left the room. However, no one on the other end answered, so the call went to the answering machine.

"Please leave a message after the beep." _Beep._

"Hi, Ms. Héder... uhh... Héd... you know... I'm sorry for almost giving you a heart attack. Bye." Matthew hung up.

"That was the worst call I've ever heard! You weren't polite!" Alfred shouted.

"I couldn't even pronounce her name! Don't blame me!"

"I guess that's not your fault, but you could have been nicer."

"She wasn't too nice to me, though." Matthew glanced down at the phone and sighed. "I'll get the rest of these calls over with."

Call number two. This time, the other end picked up.

"Hello?" a sleepy-sounding voice said.

"Hi," Matthew said. There was a pause. Alfred raised his eyebrows at Matthew.

"Who is this?" the person asked.

"Matthew Williams."

"Are you that missing child?"

Matthew was about to reply, and also say that he was a teenager, not a child, but he was cut off.

"Kiku, the missing child is on the phone! Come 'ere and talk to him!" In the background, another person yelled, "I'm busy!"

"It's okay, I can talk to either of you," Matthew said. But the person, who was apparently Mr. Heracles Karpusi, ignored him.

"Get over here! The boy wants to speak with you!" The other person, Mr. Kiku Honda yelled back. "I have important business to attend to!"

The argument continued on. Matthew looked at Alfred and shrugged. Eventually, the only thing Matthew could hear was the constant sound of both men shouting, so he hung up.

"They were arguing."

"I know! I could hear them from right here!" Alfred said. "I guess you could call back later."

"Nope. I'm getting this done right now."

"Whatever you say." Alfred shrugged and left the room.

Call number three.

"Hello?" a deep, but quiet voice asked.

"Hi. May I speak to Mr. Oxenstierna?"

"You're speaking to him. Who is this?"

"Matthew Williams."

"I'm sorry. I don't know anyone named Matthew."

Matthew didn't know what to say. He couldn't just say that he snuck into their house. That would get him in more trouble.

"Well, you may not remember me, but I'm calling to apologize about going into your house. Through the window."

For a moment, neither person said anything. "I see. Thank you for calling." Mr. Oxenstierna hung up.

Matthew shook his head. People could be so weird sometimes.

He was about to call Gilbert, but he hesitated. He didn't know what to say. There wasn't anything to apologize for- although he decided that he could have been a little nicer to Gilbert. Just a little.

However, he did remember what Alfred told him. Had Gilbert really cried over him? It didn't seem likely. Gilbert didn't seem like a person who would cry.

Before he could chicken out, Matthew dialed the number. There was no point in rehearsing what he wanted to say. He didn't know how Gilbert would react.

"Hello?" It was Gilbert.

"Hey."

"Oh, Alfred. Hi. What's the situation with Matthew? Is he okay?"

Matthew realized that Gilbert had mistaken him for Alfred.

"Um. This is... Matthew. I'm sorry."

"Oh." Matthew heard Gilbert suck in his breath. "You sound like your brother. And you're louder on the phone, not in a bad way."

"It's okay. I'm used to it. People get us mixed up all the time."

There was an awkward pause.

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so... sudden."

"I accept your apology. But please. Don't do that again. Ever. I don't really know you, anyway."

"You don't know me?"

"I don't know you personally. I mean, I see you around town sometimes, and at school, but that's it."

"Are we even acquaintances?" Gilbert sounded a little disappointed.

"Maybe. I don't really get why you keep chasing me around, though. Just saying."

"I'm not chasing you! I want to get to know you better, because you never hang out with anyone, and you always seem so lonely."

"Since when did you care about me, let alone other people? You're a jerk to everyone, and you're even rude to your friends! I don't understand!" Matthew realized what he had just said. He wished he could take it all back, but it was too late.

"Is that really what you think of me?" Gilbert said quietly. "Am I really that mean? Do you think you know me? Because... you don't."

Click. Gilbert had hung up. Matthew swore.

"Matthew, watch your mouth!" Alfred yelled from the other room.

"He hung up on me!"

"What did you do to make him hang up?" Alfred appeared at the doorway.

"I think he was mad at me because I told him exactly what I thought."

"Which was...?"

"I think he's a jerk, and a creep! Have you seen him? He talks back to adults, and he treats everyone like crap! He thinks he's on top of the world!" Matthew clenched his fists.

"Gee, could you been a little bit nicer to him?"

"Haha, nope."

"What did he ever do to you? I'd appreciate it if you told me the whole story. Don't leave anything out this time, because I know you're not telling me something."

"He... He does this weird ninja thing. He appears out of nowhere at school. I'm just standing there, and then all of a sudden, he's right there! It's so creepy!"

"And?" Alfred insisted.

"And what?"

"That can't be the only reason you don't like him."

"I can't tell!"

"Calm down. Go take your meds, chill out, relax. But you're still going to tell me, whether you like it or not. I want to help you."

"I don't think there's much you can do."

"Call him back later. And be nice to him! He's obviously concerned about you, and you're not treating him well! You say that he's a jerk, but I think you're being worse."

Matthew shook his head. He stormed into the kitchen, nearly inhaled his pills, and stomped into his bedroom, slamming the door. Alfred sighed. He would just have to wait until both Matthew and Gilbert were ready to talk.

(Author's Note: Wow. I can't believe how much you people like this story. I mean, when I started writing this, I just threw a bunch of random ideas together and it seemed to work. I didn't even have the entire story planned out. I just rolled with it.

To be honest, this story could have turned out a lot better. I know that the whole idea of depressed Canada/Matthew is often frowned upon in the Hetalia fandom. That's why I'm thinking of rewriting this story at some point. Now that I know where the story is headed, I could make this idea a lot better.

Again, thanks for all the support! You're the best. I mean it.)


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